American eel are collected in eel ladders at Conowingo Dam and in Octoraro Creek and transported upstream of the mainstem dams and released in the Susquehanna River. This program started in 2008. Annual eel collection occurs from late spring until early fall.
2024 American Eel Collections^
Week Starting | Conowingo Dam | Octoraro Dam |
28 - Apr | 1,334 | 1 |
5 - May | 12,965 | 2 |
12 - May | 2,473 | 0 |
19 - May | 4,663 | 4 |
26 - May | 19,214 | 80 |
2 - Jun | 3,161 | 34,500 |
9 - Jun | 1,659 | 17,609 |
16 - Jun | 1,731 | 251 |
23 - Jun | 12,541 | 54 |
Season Totals | 59,741 | 52,501 |
^2024 collection numbers are preliminary and may change through the season as collection data are quality checked.
Annual American Eel Collections
Year | Conowingo Eel Ladder | Octoraro Eel Ladder |
2008 | 42,058 | - |
2009 | 17,437 | - |
2010 | 23,856 | - |
2011 | 84,961 | - |
2012 | 135,748 | - |
2013 | 293,141 | - |
2014 | 185,628 | - |
2015 | 58,444 | 7,179 |
2016 | 2,684 | 21,094 |
2017 | 122,300 | 11,347 |
2018 | 67,949 | 4,203 |
2019 | 126,181 | 14,170 |
2020 | 254,651 | 3,597 |
2021 | 623,095 | 45,230 |
2022 | 139,798 | 7,159 |
2023 | 217,035 | 62,113 |
Total | 2,398,864 | 176,092 |
State(s)